New Haven Restaurants: Caseus, Study Hotel, Claire's Corner Copia
This locavore-loving college town earns a degree in world-class cuisine
Caseus This new fromagerie moonlights as an elegant bistro, where local and global cheeses mingle on the menu. Standouts include a French onion soup ($7) topped with six kinds of bubbling cheeses, a gut-busting grilled-cheese sandwich ($11), summery peach-and-chèvre ravioli ($9) and a daily selection of tarts ($11), which might include caramelized fennel and Gruyère or Swiss chard and Gouda. 93 Whitney Ave.; 203-624-3373 or caseusnewhaven.com
Study Hotel This handsome new boutique offers Hogwarts-like views of Yale's gothic campus, but its mod in-house restaurant, Heirloom, is as cheery as it gets. The chalkboard menu in the light-filled dining room includes dishes like bacon-wrapped dates ($4), Maine crab cakes with vermouth butter ($14) and lobster lasagna ($26), which graces New England's local abundance with touches of Ivy League worldliness. 1157 Chapel St.; 203-503-3919 or studyhotels.com
Claire's Corner Copia There are restaurateurs who dabble in farm-to-table-causes, and there's Claire Criscuolo, whose tried-and-true vegetarian café continues to evolve. Criscuolo passionately supports the Growing Connection, a United Nations project that electronically links gardeners across the world. But her food–much of it sourced from her own garden–is what really matters: Stop in for breakfast and try the organic huevos rancheros ($9) and the insanely popular Lithuanian coffee cake ($4.40). 1000 Chapel St.; 203-562-3888 or clairescornercopia.com